Washington Street Elementary School Newsletter

A glimpse at what’s happening in our school…. Spring 2019

By: Mrs. Anderson, Kindergarten Teacher

Spring has finally sprung! Plants begin to blossom and the weather warms up. Our kindergarteners are also blossoming with all the new knowledge they are acquiring this year. The children are rapidly preparing for first grade. Many of the boys and girls are beginning to read and it is so exciting. They love sharing their new found skills.We are excited about our trip to the Ocean County Library that will take place this month. The students can see first hand a great place to borrow books for free. Please look for permission slips and notices about this upcoming event. Sight Words are very important for early readers to meet with success. Please continue to practice Sight Words daily. We will continue working on rhyming words and letter sounds. Please practice these at home also. As always reading with your child is a fun way to work on these skills at home In math we are continuing to work on counting up to 100. We will be working on skip counting by 2, 5, and 10. We are amazed at our ability to add and subtract numbers up to 10. Please practice math facts daily to help your child gain fluency. We love exploring outside. They are always finding fun things like pine cones and branches in the playground. Please make sure they come dressed in layers and weather appropriate. They are constantly running around, so if it warms up they may not need a heavy coat! In science we are working on push and pull. We hope to conduct many experiments with forces. You can ask your child about machines that help us do work. They may enjoy doing activities with you and learn about forces of motion.

By Ms. Silvestri, Grade 1 Teacher

As the warm weather approaches, we are truly amazed as we watch the first graders begin to bloom just like the flowers! There is a lot of impressive learning taking place in our classrooms during this time of year! In reading, we will be starting Unit 5. The children will be reading various selections in their anthologies and completing assessments independently for the first time. Please continue to read at home with your children to further develop their reading fluency and comprehension skills. Our Spring Book Club has the children reading 12 books to create a butterfly. At this point in the school year, the children should be reading at home for 20 minutes each night. We are so proud of all the great reading going on in first grade! In math, we will be starting Unit 6. The children will be learning about shapes, data, and measurement, telling time to the hour and half-hour, and continuing to work on various addition and subtraction fact strategies. Please continue to practice the math facts at home each night (0-10) in both addition and subtraction! The first graders have a lot to look forward to throughout the month of April. We will be learning about plants and animals and we will enjoy a “Spring Party” to welcome the first day of spring! Please continue to encourage your children to work on their Reading Eggs and iReady Lessons nightly at home. Let’s also continue to encourage the children to follow “The Warrior Way” expectations daily by being a Responsible, Respectful, and Kind student! Thank you for your continued support at home!

By: Mrs. Bowes,Grade 2 Teacher

Well, winter is finally behind us! Yet spring

brought some snow that hopefully will be the last. When we weren’t freezing, blown over, or shoveling, classes visited Cattus Island County Park, learning about butterflies, snakes, bees, and fish. The boys and girls took guided tours and made a painted craft. They had a great time!

We’ve been reading about how communities and cultures impact the world. Students have been busy reading and working on comprehension skills, using “just right” books during reader’s workshop. In writing, we are working on how-to essays. Students are doing a wonderful job and enjoy reading and writing!

Classes just finished studying measurement and data in Ready math. During thi+rd trimester, we will make and read line plots, bar graphs, picture graphs, tell and write time, solve word problems involving money, and begin geometry. Students are also working on their level lessons, using the online component of iReady. They really enjoy working and passing their lessons!

In science, we are just finishing learning and exploring forces and states of matter. We are beginning to study interdependent relationships in ecosystems. In social studies, we learned about women in history and will continue to talk about our life, world, and culture.

Please remember to check homework logs and help organize and clean out folders. Encourage daily reading, word study, and basic subtraction and addition facts. So as you enjoy those spring afternoons outside together, take a few minutes later in the evening to enjoy a story together or play number games with a deck of cards. Read and discuss a book or count out change from the piggy bank.

Second trimester closed on March 22nd and we are now in the third trimester. Where has all the time gone? Tempus fugit!

By: Ms. Fell,, Grade 3 Teacher

The third graders have begun been preparing for the NJSLA which is our new state assessment. The NJSLA will begin on April 8th. We are preparing by completing both computer based and paper based practice assessment. In Language Arts, we will be starting our next class novel Third Grade Angels. In Writer’s Workshop, we will be learning about and writing personal narratives. The students will be practicing this format by creating personal narratives about a lunchroom experience. In Math, we have been working on skills involving fractions and mastering multiplication fluency. We will continue working on skills related to telling time, as well as, learning about liquid volume, and mass. In Science, we will be learning all about Plant Life Cycles and Traits. In this unit, students will learn about how and why flowers are pollinated, the parts of a flower, and how plants give us fruits. In Social Studies, we just completed our unit on Jamestown. After science we will be discussing Citizenship and the Government. We will be focusing on how the United States became a country, creating the Declaration of Independence and Washington D.C.

As the year comes to an end, we will be reading our final class novel Charlotte’s Web in Reader’s Workshop, as well as, participating in book clubs, which allows the students to

read a text in small groups and engage in a meaningful discussions about the book. In Writer’s Workshop we will continue to write personal narratives. In math, we will learn about graphs, area, perimeter and shapes. In science we will learn about animals through time. We hope that all of you will have a wonderful spring break! Thank you for the help and support that you give your children throughout the year!

By: Mrs. Miraglia, Grade 5 Teacher

Spring is just around the corner, and our fifth graders are continuing to march ahead. Our focus is preparing for the upcoming NJSLA formally known as PARCC statewide assessment. We will be exposing students to a variety of math skills in preparation for the mathematics assessment. Your support and encouragement at home is also a big component of student success. Please ensure your child gets adequate sleep and a healthy breakfast each day. Students are encouraged to continue reading independently to strengthen overall comprehension and writing skills. During the Third Trimester students will begin exploring the genre of Science Fiction, and have the opportunity to read our class novel City of Ember. We will continue reinforcing Language Arts skills and strategies throughout the unit. In the area of Science, students continue to participate in hands on activities while learning the engineering process. During the third trimester students will begin the Unit of Watery Planet and learn about the water cycle and earth’s systems. In Social Studies, students will continue to learn about the development of our country.

 

By: Mrs. Asch, Art Teacher

  

By: Mrs.Yorke, Grade 4 Teacher

Fourth grade has a SPRING in their step! They strived for excellence on their five paragraph essays about our great nation’s immigration centers, Angel and Ellis Islands. Their essays were impressive enough to catch the eye of their future fifth grade teachers! Along with this, we have researched many aspects of the immigration process and lives of our ancestors in early America. The fourth graders have been working with determination to take action with their fractions! Also, grade 4 has been experimenting in Mystery Science with energy and how it is used in super inventive chain reaction machines! The fabulous fourth grade has worked together in our morning meetings to really establish a community that shares and grows together. We are excited for this final trimester and all the activities it brings!

 By: Mrs Gmitter, Title I Basic Skills Teacher

As the new year progresses, the kindergarten basic skills students are being introduced to Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI) in small groups. In this program, we work on phonics skills, sight words, oral fluency, and comprehension while reading a leveled book together. So far, the students have enjoyed learning about fruits and vegetables, “funny things”, and baby animals. It is wonderful to see them progressing with their sight word knowledge and beginning to read sentences! Please continue to practice sight words at home!

In third grade, the basic skills students are continuing with LLI instruction. We have been practicing oral fluency, comprehension, making real life connections, writing paragraphs, and phonics skills. The students are enjoying leveled books about “Moosling”, various classic tales, and some non- fiction text about different animals and the sea. Please continue to read with your children at home!

By: Mrs. Citta, Gifted and Talented Education Teacher

Welcome to SPRING, Washington Street Elementary School families! As we begin to witness buds on the trees and anticipate the blooms of flowering plants all around us, we are anxious to embark on yet another journey. Currently, our Fourth Graders are being challenged in the area of math. The students are drawn into an engaging detective story where mathematical problems are woven into a rich context of inquiry and intrigue. We will immerse ourselves into geometric exploration, discovering patterns, and making predictions which leads to solutions, possibly the treasure, and hopefully we will escape! Communication of our ideas will be critical in being successful throughout this adventure. Our third graders are very anxious regarding their author study featuring Chris Van Allsburg. Students will use their creative sides and solve mysteries based on their interpretations and what they Notice and Note. Our youngsters will provide insight into or raise questions about literary elements such as character, setting, conflict, and theme. A class favorite, perhaps,

might be…

The Sweetest Fig by Chris Van Allsburg "These figs are very special," the woman

whispered. "They can make your dreams come true." In this lesson, students will learn about character traits through the mnemonic STEAL (Speech, Thoughts, Effect on others, Actions, and Looks). Children will certainly have fun meeting the character of Tibot! We will have to wait and see if this is a class favorite!

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By: Mrs. Carattini, Band Director

The Washington Street band is hard at

work on our program for our spring concert! The spring instrumental concert will take place on Tuesday, June 4th. There will be two performances, one during the school day for the students and faculty and one in the evening at 6 PM for parents. Save the date!

A huge congratulations to Dylan Smith (Clarinet), Julia Cavanaugh (Tenor Saxophone), Emma Smith (Bass Clarinet), Canaan Sanzone (Trombone) and Carmen Dentato (Baritone Horn). These Washington Street Warriors were selected to represent our school and district at the 2019 South Jersey Elementary Honors Band Festival on April 13th. This requires preparation of 5 extra pieces of music in addition to our school program as well as extra practice time. Well done! Keep practicing and keep up the great work!

Gifted & Talented Continued….. Let’s give it up to our Second and First Graders as they have used their Detective Thinking with Dudley the Detective out in Crystal Ponds Woods! We are so very proud of their successes thus far. We continue to expose the children to Primary Education Thinking Skills and further investigate their curiosities about convergent thinking. Our Kindergartners will meet Dudley and showcase their detective thinking through a story based inquiry. Next, we will explore with the imaginative side of the brain as we focus specifically on divergent/creative thinking. Each week we will examine cross-curricular themes as we build relationships and foster an environment that exudes a passion and love for learning. Looking forward to the journey that awaits us…

By: Mrs. Miraglia, Drama Club Director

The fourth and fifth graders are doing an awesome job singing and reciting lines. It is a big undertaking for students to come to school an hour early every Thursday morning to practice for our production of the Lion King Jr. which will debut in May. A big thank you goes out to all that supported the Friendship Bracelet fundraiser the week of February 10th. We sold over 300 bracelets, and it is because of your generosity that we were able to purchase some sound equipment to help with our first production.

By: Ms. Stahl, Resource Room Teacher

We are beginning to review for the

NJSLA. The students are working very hard reviewing math skills , reading skills, and writing skills. In preparation for testing please be sure your child has a good breakfast and gets a good night sleep. Please be sure to check your child's planner for assignments, quizzes, tests, and school activities.